Mumbai’s toll crosses 200 mark with 12 new deaths

Sunday saw 19 deaths due to coronavirus with Mumbai accounting for 12 of them. The total death toll in Mumbai is now 204. Other deaths were recorded in Pune (3), Jalgaon (2), and one each in Solapur and Latur.

Till now, 1,188 patients have recovered and discharged in the state. In Mumbai, 135 patients were discharged on Sunday. (Representational Photo)

Maharashtra recorded 440 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday taking the total number of infected patients to 8,068. Mumbai accounted for 358 of the new cases, taking the total patient count in the city to 5,407.

Sunday saw 19 deaths due to coronavirus with Mumbai accounting for 12 of them. The total death toll in Mumbai is now 204. Other deaths were recorded in Pune (3), Jalgaon (2), and one each in Solapur and Latur.

State officials said senior citizens continue to be affected more critically than others, with seven of the 19 aged above 60. Ten others who died were aged between 40 and 59 while two were less than 40 years. At least 14 districts have recorded no deaths yet. Maximum deaths have been recorded in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik — the four districts account for 87 per cent of the state’s death toll.

Meanwhile, at least 33 of 53 mediapersons, who had tested positive in a BMC drive, have recovered and were discharged. They will remain in home quarantine for 14 days. The reports of 20 others are awaited, BMC officials said. The 53 mediapersons, including photographers, reporters and cameramen, had tested positive last week in a special drive held for them by BMC. Only three developed symptoms and were moved to hospital.

Meanwhile, all the 147 sailors aboard the cruise ship Marella Discovery, which returned to Mumbai on Thursday after a 40-day-long wait in Indian waters, tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday. After spending two days in a hotel, the sailors were allowed to return to their homes.

Till now, 1,188 patients have recovered and discharged in the state. In Mumbai, 135 patients were discharged on Sunday. Till now 897 recovered patients have been discharged in Mumbai.

As cases continue to soar, containment zones across Maharashtra have been increased to 604. They are being monitored by 8,603 surveillance squads. The squads have also surveyed 33.7 lakh people for symptoms of coronavirus. Till now, 1.16 lakh samples have been collected for testing; of them over 1.07 lakh have tested negative.

In Mumbai, BMC has issued a circular to all private clinics and practitioners to open their clinics and treat patients other than coronavirus. The civic body’s circular comes because several patients were directly approaching BMC peripheral and tertiary care hospitals for treatment in absence of nursing homes and clinics.